Main Notes
- Disabled: Altan is mostly blind, and perceives the world through sound and touch. He also lives with chronic illness as a result from dying during the Calamity.
- Connected: Always with his horns to the ground, Altan knows an assortment of people, places, and rumors that may prove useful to one seeking information.
- Craftsman: A jeweler by trade, Altan's blindness has resulted in his unique style of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, with an impressive level of detail in each piece.
- Reformed Villain: Altan's past is stained in blood and death, though he has since found freedom from his dark history and built a small family with his partner.
- Magically Complicated: Altan's magical capacity is borderline non-existent, with a small collection of “cantrips” at his disposal, the rest of his magical prowess stems from different forces in his life.
Hooks
- Aether: To the aetherically sensitive, Altan's aether appears unnaturally thin. He appears to flicker at times, as his aether seems to drop of its own accord, only to be replaced with a stream originating from a small, white square embedded in his chest. He is often seen carrying vials of hyper-concentrated, liquid aether.
- Storyteller: Altan's travels, numerous scars, and work as a bartender means he always has a new story to tell. Whether or not the tales told are true remain a mystery none have been able to solve.
- Scars: Altan has scars crossing most of his body, some minor, some major, and some that make one wonder how in the Seven Hells he is still alive.
- Vitals: Altan is cool to the touch, and may appear to stop breathing at times… those close to him are also oddly relaxed about the prospect of his corpse being discovered somewhere strange.
- The Echo: A “gift” he never asked for and does not want, Altan occasionally appears to spontaneously lose consciousness, and often wakes up as if from a nightmare…
- OOC: If you want to give Altan an Echo-Memory of your character's past, feel free to reach out via tells!
Boundaries
- To be clear: I am not Altan
- If Altan has the RP tag on, feel free to say hi!
- Don't attempt to maim or kill Altan without explicit permission and prior arrangements.
- Do not touch Altan without his consent— he will respond aggressively.
- Please ask me OOC before starting a fight about his character hooks. Sometimes I just want to relax.
- Altan's past means he can be suspicious of strangers that want to talk to him. Give him time to warm up!
Background
Born Ganbaatar of the Dotharl, Altan was originally named for a warrior who had mastered all blades. Trained as the reincarnation of this "Steel Hero", Altan wavered under the expectations set upon him as he was expected to win his first Nadaam. However, when he was defeated, and his childhood love believed dead, he left the Steppe, only returning 30 years later.
Altan found his way to Ala Mhigo, where he was recruited to join the resistance and played a minor role in overthrowing the Mad King around 1557, though Garlemald's subsequent invasion forced him to flee soon after, and he remained isolated for over a decade after, traveling and surviving on what he could find.
After a memory was triggered with the Echo at an inopportune time, nearly getting him killed in the wilderness, Altan made the decision to return to society proper, originally finding his way to Ul'dah and being recruited into a bloody gladiatorial arena. His unexpected victory caused a major upset, though ultimately he only lost his first match when he was killed roughly a year later during the Calamity.
Altan's martial prowess in the arena drew the eye of an Ishgardian benefactor, who paid for his resurrection and urged him to move to Ishgard, where the benefactor would supply him with a steady income if he agreed to work for them. They arranged for Altan to join the Manufactory and take up the firearm, though Altan describes their relationship as him "selling his morals in exchange for food." Getting him to confess to the specifics of that relationship can feel like pulling teeth, however.